武臣 / Wu Chen
武臣 / Wu Chen enters the wiki in Qinji 128-5 as a rebel commander who becomes the focus of old-赵国 restoration politics. At first, his success depends on 蒯彻’s advice that territory can be won by political surrender rather than by fighting every city.
Wu Chen sends Kuai Che with vehicles, cavalry, and noble seals to receive Xu Gong. After Xu Gong surrenders, more than thirty cities in old Yan and Zhao territory reportedly follow without battle, making Wu Chen’s branch the episode’s case for 招降示范级联.
The later turning point is Wu Chen’s kingship. After 周文 retreats and 陈胜’s suspicion of returning commanders becomes known, 张耳 and 陈馀 urge Wu Chen to declare himself Zhao king at 邯郸. Chen Sheng first wants retaliation, then accepts 蔡赐’s advice to recognize him temporarily.
Wu Chen then accepts Zhang Er and Chen Yu’s second recommendation: do not move west against 秦国 immediately, but expand Zhao by attacking Yan, Dai, Henei, Changshan, and Shangdang. That makes Wu Chen a concrete node in 反秦阵营诸侯化分裂.
Qinji 128-8 shows one cost of that separate Zhao line. Wu Chen sends 韩广 to take Yan territory, but Yan-region figures make Han Guang their own king. Wu Chen later moves along the Yan-Zhao frontier and is captured by Yan forces; after formal envoys fail, 赵厮养卒 persuades Yan to release him by arguing that killing him would give Zhang Er and Chen Yu a pretext to attack Yan.
Qinji 129-2 gives Wu Chen’s restored-Zhao branch a violent endpoint. He sends 李良 toward Taiyuan after Li Liang pacifies Changshan, but Li Liang is blocked by 王离 and later humiliated when Wu Chen’s sister drunkenly fails to return his roadside bow. Li Liang kills her, attacks 邯郸, and kills Wu Chen and left chancellor Shao Sao, turning the separate Zhao line from self-strengthening into internal collapse.
Connections
- 蒯彻 and 招降示范级联 - early expansion through modeled surrender.
- 张耳, 陈馀, and 陈胜 - advisers and rival rebel authority around Zhao kingship.
- 张楚政权 and 六国复国式反秦策略 - larger rebel setting and restoration logic.
- 赵国, 燕国, and 邯郸 - geographic and political field.
- 蔡赐 and 反秦阵营诸侯化分裂 - Chen Sheng’s compromise and Wu Chen’s self-strengthening route.
- 韩广, 赵厮养卒, 低位者战略说服, and 燕国 - Qinji 128-8 capture and release branch.
- Qinji 129-2, 李良, 王离, 武臣姐姐, and 名分羞辱触发叛变 - Li Liang’s betrayal and Wu Chen’s death.